Skeletons and Songbirds
by DeadGirl19
Summary: Some songs are just screaming Skulduggery, so here's a collection of songfics for various points in the series. Ideally, listen to the song featured before/whilst reading :)
1. See You Again- Wiz Khalifa

**I've (stupidly) gone and started another fanfic. But I love music, I love SP, so... Let us begin.**

 **I'm not sure how often I'll update this, but there are loads of songfics I wanna get round to writing.**

 **It would be a good idea to listen to the song featured in each chapter before/whilst reading. :)**

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See you Again- Wiz Khalifa ft Charlie Puth

Skulduggery walked slowly into the cemetery behind the Sanctuary. The war against the Supreme Council had concluded, with Ireland being named victorious. Darquesse had shown up, but had soon gone. Valkyrie had gone.

This was the first moment Skulduggery had gained for himself. This was the first moment where he wasn't rushing around, trying to salvage something out of nothing, trying to work miracles for the naive sorcerers around him. Trying to ignore the pain in his metaphorical heart. Not just because of the loss of his partner, but because of the loss of two of his friends.

Skulduggery walked slowly to the two large, ornate headstones in the middle of the graveyard, placed in an area that was isolated to the others. The graves of Ghastly Bespoke and Anton Shudder stood tall. Noble. Like the men buried beneath them.

Skulduggery spent a moment paying his respects to Anton, but moved swiftly on to the grave of his best friend. It was not out of disrespect, but Skulduggery had been closer to Ghastly than he had to Anton. His death had saddened him more. Ghastly had been his closest and oldest friend.

Had been. Not any more.

Ghastly was gone now. Taken by someone that Skulduggery had once classed as a friend as well. Erskine Ravel. The traitor.

Skulduggery sighed. It had been a long day. Valkyrie was gone. But they'd won the war. They'd come a long way from where they'd began.

Skulduggery wished Ghastly was here. Technically, Ghastly should have been one of the people leading them to victory, being an Elder. He should have been celebrating this moment, sipping champagne in Ravel's office. But no. He was lying six feet under the cold hard dirt.

They'd had a lot of laughs together. Some classic moments. Ghastly had been there since Skulduggery was a child. He'd been there for it all. For everything Skulduggery had been through, Ghastly had been standing there by his side. On his wedding day, Ghastly had been the best man. After the birth of his child, Ghastly had been named the godfather. The list was long.

But not endless. For Ghastly's life had come to an end. He had been like family to Skulduggery. A brother. What had started out as friendship had turned into a bond. A strong bond, which would never be broken. The brotherhood would never falter. Not even through death.

Skulduggery would never forget Ghastly. Never. He was going to cherish every memory he had of his friend for the rest of his empty life.

Skulduggery knelt by the tombstone. He stroked the top, wiping away remnants of dirt and moss, his gloved hand trembling slightly.

"It's been a long day without you, my friend," he said softly, hollowly. "And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again."


	2. Ugly Heart- GRL

Ugly Heart- G.R.L

Skulduggery strolled up the path of the large country home, with the stables to the left. China always did like horse-riding.

He smiled a skeletal smile, and waved his hand. The latches of the stable doors opened, and the beautiful stallions and mares enclosed within were set free. They whinnied happily, and galloped off across the fields, likely never to return.

Skulduggery stalked up to the cottage door and knocked, three short, hard raps. China opened the door, a rare look of surprise on her beautiful features. Her expression shifted slightly, and Skulduggery felt the pull as she tried to seduce him. As if that was going to work.

"Don't you dare play your little party trick on me, China," he snarled. He stepped into the house, and moved past her down the hallway, pretending not to notice that the symbols on the palms of her hands were lit up and ready to strike if need be.

Skulduggery entered a doorway, and found himself to be in a tidy living room. He took a seat on an ornate sofa. China came in after a moment.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked.

"What? Like tea or coffee?" Skulduggery muttered menacingly. "Hate to break it to you, China- I'm a skeleton. But of course you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"

"Skulduggery, dear-"

"Dear?" Skulduggery repeated. "I'm no dear, least of all a dear to you. I know you love me, China."

China stayed silent.

"It's sickening," Skulduggery continued angrily. "You kill my family out of jealousy, then say you love me, and expect me to love you back."

"I don't expect anything of you, Skulduggery," China said quietly. "Not any more."

"So you expected me to love you back?" he scoffed.

"Yes. Once."

Skulduggery barked out a short, angry laugh. "Maybe I'm just crazy. Maybe I'm a fool. Maybe I don't know what love is. Maybe you, China Sorrows, know more than me. But one thing's for sure- I'm through with you. I want you to stay away from me and everyone else. Keep away from Valkyrie, Ghastly, the Sanctuary, everyone. Or I will not hesitate in killing you."

China's eyes widened slightly in shock. She couldn't believe that Skulduggery was talking to her like this.

"What's wrong?" Skulduggery asked. "Does it astonish you that I want nothing more to do with you? There was a time when I would have happily gone to see you, China. But not anymore."

He stood up, and adjusted his hat. "Yeah, you're pretty," he continued. "You're beautiful. It's all artificial, of course, but you are beautiful."

China smiled, obviously pleased, but her smile was soon wiped off her face when Skulduggery resumed talking.

"But it's horrible to see that such a gorgeous lady has such a black soul. Maybe one day you'll finally settle down, and get married, and your husband will worship the bloody ground you walk on. Maybe on your honeymoon, you'll remember me. But if you don't, fear not, China. I won't give a damn.

"Fact is," he continued, "you're absolutely beautiful. But behind all that beauty, you know what you are? A witch. And it's such a pity a girl's so pretty with such an ugly heart."

Skulduggery walked past China, and left the room. She followed him as he walked down the hallway, and she watched him as he strolled out the door and to his Bentley. He got in, and reversed out of her driveway, 'accidentally' hitting her priceless black Lamborghini whilst doing so, leaving a massive scratch along the beautiful car's body. China slammed the door shut.


	3. Little Talks- Of Monsters and Men

Little Talks- Of Monsters and Men

Valkyrie walked around Skulduggery's house. All of his things were still there, just as he'd left them. A book was lying open on his favourite armchair in his favourite living room, ready for him to continue reading. It was subtle signs like this that told Valkyrie that Skulduggery hadn't planned on not coming home that day. But then again, no one had planned Skulduggery's death.

She could hear Skulduggery's voice in her head whilst she walked. She could imagine his velvety tone telling her to hold his hand, and that he'd walk with her.

Valkyrie rubbed her tired eyes. She hadn't been sleeping since that day, about a week ago. She blamed it on the house, on the creaky stairs, on the settling foundations. But she knew the real reason, even though she didn't want to admit it. For admitting it would mean that she had to face it.

She missed him.

She couldn't live without him. He'd been a part of her life for so long, and he'd meant an immense amount to her. But he was gone.

Valkyrie shook her head, trying to clear it of her ominous thoughts. She needed to get some rest. She needed to get a hold of herself. It was easy for her to list all the things she needed. But she couldn't do any of these things. She couldn't even dress herself these days.

She knew it would be killing Skulduggery to see her like this. But who cares? Why did he have to go and die?!

Valkyrie stopped walking, immediately feeling guilty. It wasn't his fault. It had been an accident. A terrible, terrible accident. And now he was dead for it. Proper dead. No coming back this time.

Valkyrie knew she'd get through this. She hoped she would. Well, the truth would probably vary. But she believed that she'd find the light at the end of the tunnel again. Maybe someday.

Valkyrie couldn't take it. All of this false hope was killing her. She sank to her knees and cried. She wanted to join Skulduggery. She so badly wanted to die. This suffering needed to come to an end. But something was holding her back. An old voice.

Darquesse.

She told Valkyrie not to worry, that it would be okay. That all she had to do to alleviate this horrible, torturous pain in her heart was to succumb to Darquesse's voice.

But she missed the little talks she'd had with Skulduggery. That's what hurt her the most; the thought that she'd never have a conversation with him again. The witty banter. The insults. His foolproof methods of cheering her up.

But soon... Soon all this suffering would be over. It would be buried with her past, with all the other things she had done. For she had made up her mind.

She was going to die.

She remembered those times she'd had with Skulduggery. Beating bad guys and all that. Saving the world. Those days when they were full of life. Full of love.

Valkyrie didn't know why she was living. What was she living for? How was she living and coping with this tragedy? She didn't care. She. Didn't. Care. She just wanted Skulduggery back.

She prayed he wasn't listening to a word she was saying. It would hurt him to know that she'd lost all hope so swiftly. But she needed so desperately to see him again.

He was gone, she'd watched him disappear. Valkyrie smiled sadly as she saw his hat sitting on the table. That was all that had been left of him at the scene of his death; everything else... Dust. Tears pricked at Valkyrie's eyes just thinking about it. This hat was the ghost of him. The ghost of Skulduggery Pleasant. And it had a bloody dent in it.

She picked up the hat, and clutched it in her hand, so dearly to her chest. They were torn apart, and there was nothing they could do. Except this. This was Valkyrie's last shot. The only possibility of ever seeing her Skulduggery again was to meet him in the afterlife.

She'd had to let him go. But she'd see him again soon. She hoped that he would wait for her, wherever he was. She would be there in a minute, as soon as she fell asleep, and drifted into that eternal blackness.

Valkyrie ran her fingers over Skulduggery's mantelpiece, ignoring the dust. His revolver lay there. Untouched. Undamaged.

Still loaded.

Valkyrie picked it up, and held it to her head. She needed to do this. She needed it. She needed _him._

Because she believed that this ship that they were on, the ship which travelled in such stormy weather and on such violent tides, would carry their bodies, dead or alive, safe to shore.


	4. Radioactive- Imagine Dragons

Radioactive- Imagine Dragons

In a massive explosion of magic, Skulduggery was gone. He was no more. But in his place stood the Devil incarnated.

Lord Vile had woken up.

But what exactly had he woken up to? To ash and dust, to a warzone. He inhaled the smell of war; the intoxicating scent of death. Such a sweet aroma. It was beautiful.

Vile looked down at the battlefield below him. He had a vantage point, a perfect view, from the hill he was stood on. At his gesture, the dainty tulips littering the ground wilted and died. He was ready. But the question was- were _they_?

There was going to be an onslaught. This was it. The apocalypse.

Because he was awake. After so long stuck in the back of Skulduggery's mind, personified by his bad thoughts and feelings, he was finally here. He could feel it in his bones; no muscles to tire, no skin to bleed, no organs to wound.

Oh, he was ready.

It was time to welcome the earth to the new age, because he was like a bomb waiting to go off. He was radioactive.

He was wearing deadly black armour; cold, sharp, sleek, smooth and, most importantly, devilishly handsome. He was a walking armoury, and god, was it magnificent. It was a shame it wasn't red, he reflected satirically. He'd have fit right in, in this blood-soaked land.

The sun was up, he observed. What a beautiful day it was for bloodshed. Lord Vile was feeling it, deep in his bones, straight from inside. Not from Skulduggery, mind you. Skulduggery sat inside, yes, but he was just furniture. No, he felt it from his soul, from his _essence_. This was what he wanted. He wanted to destroy, to kill, to avenge his family's death- no, _murder_.

He smiled a skeletal smile to himself, and shadow-walked from the hill to the middle of the battlefield.

Slowly, all the action began to stop, until everyone was staring at him, anticipating what would happen. Who was this being? And, more importantly, who's side was he on?

He spotted some familiar faces amongst the crowd. The Dead Men. Looking weary, tired and sick; sick of this war. But they had determination in their eyes.

Lord Vile summoned his shadows, sharpening the points. Suddenly, as one, they lashed out, emanating from him in a sphere, obliterating whatever they struck.

Lord Vile tilted his head. _Welcome to the new age._


	5. You've Got A Friend In Me- Randy Newman

**This is set while Skulduggery and Valkyrie are going through that desert in LSODM.**

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You've Got a Friend in Me- Randy Newman

The mountainous sand dunes were all that could be seen in every direction. The heat radiated from them, creating a hazy effect. The golden grains of scorching hot sand filled Valkyrie's vision, the stifling heat making it hard to breathe.

Skulduggery strode beside her, seemingly unaffected by the dry air. He turned his skull to face her.

"Can you still hear her?" he asked softly.

Valkyrie nodded. "Yeah," she replied quietly. No further words needed to be said; Skulduggery understood that Darquesse was close to emerging.

"Want to talk about it?" he offered, yet he knew what her answer would be.

"No."

"Valkyrie," Skulduggery began. The tone of his voice made her stop and look at him.

"Yes, Skulduggery?"

"You _can_ confide in me, you know," he said gently.

"I know, Skul," Valkyrie smiled.

"You've got a friend in me. And a good listener," Skulduggery subtly boasted.

"I know, Skul," Valkyrie repeated flatly.

"Would you like some motivational advice?" he offered.

"Not really," Valkyrie sighed.

"Are you sure?" he pressed.

Valkyrie looked at him. She couldn't muster the strength to argue. "Will it be better than your past notorious motivational speeches?"

"They were _good_ ," Skulduggery protested.

"Whatever," Valkyrie said half-heartedly. They kept walking, her morale low. Darquesse was close to rising, and she was going to destroy the whole planet, including Valkyrie's family. As if that wasn't bad enough, Ireland had a bloody war going on. Anton and Ghastly had died. People were dying. Billions were going to die. It was times like this that she didn't know why she was living.

"When the road is rough," Skulduggery said, breaking the uneasy silence. "And there's darkness ahead, and your nice warm bed is a long way away; just remember what I'm saying." He looked at her.

"You'll always have me," he said softly. "You'll always have me to rely on, Valkyrie. Always."

They carried on walking, settling into another silence, but this one infinitely more comfortable. Skulduggery spoke again. "You've got troubles. I've got them, too. I can empathise with you, if it means anything."

He hesitated slightly. "There's _nothing_ I wouldn't do for you, Valkyrie. We've come so far. We've stuck together, against the odds. We can see this whole thing through. This war, the Supreme Council, Darquesse... Everything. We can see it through to the end. Because we're friends. Partners. Companions."

Valkyrie met his gaze, smiling. "That was actually rather good. Very motivational. Thank you."

Skulduggery tilted his head. "My pleasure."

"Others may be smarter than me," Valkyrie said. "Just a little bit."

"Or a lot," Skulduggery inputted.

"And bigger and stronger," she continued, but not before swatting Skulduggery's arm. "But none of them will ever adore you as much as I do. It's me and you, Skul."

"Skulduggery," he corrected.

"You're spoiling the moment," Valkyrie glared. Her gaze softened, and she continued. "As the years go on, so will our friendship. Eternal. It won't ever die."

"It's almost like it was destiny," Skulduggery mused. "What were the chances of you and me becoming partners, eh? One in a million."

"That's me," Valkyrie grinned. "One in a million."

"You've got a good friend in me, Valkyrie," Skulduggery said warmly, and Valkyrie knew he'd be smiling right now if he could.

They walked on in companionable silence, until Valkyrie said, "Skulduggery?"

He looked at her. "Yes?"

"You know how you're my friend...?" she began.

"Yes...?"

"I'm thirsty again."

Skulduggery sighed. "You know how to-"

"No I don't."

"I've taught you how to conjure moisture from the air many times, Valkyrie."

"Please?" she asked, doing her best puppy expression.

Skulduggery sighed for the second time in what seemed like a very unhealthy timespan, and waved his hand. A small amount of water trickled down her face, and ran into her mouth.

"This is great," Valkyrie said contentedly. Then, all too soon, the flow of water ended.

"Can I have more?" she asked, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"No," Skulduggery said.

"Why not?" Valkyrie frowned.

"Because you need to learn," Skulduggery replied.

"Please?"

"No."

"More?" Valkyrie pleaded, near-begging.

"No."

"More?"

"No."

"More?"

" _No_."

"More?"

"Your hearing is starting to concern me, Valkyrie," Skulduggery muttered.

"More?"

"No."

"Yes."

"I don't know what you're trying to achieve. You're only making yourself thirstier by arguing," Skulduggery said, slightly amused.

"More."

" _No_."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"No."

"No."

"Dammit," Valkyrie mumbled. _That trick never worked._

"I thought you were my friend," she accused darkly.

"I am," Skulduggery said. "But I never said I was your tap."


	6. Voices- Rev Theory

Voices- Rev Theory  


Valkyrie stared long and hard at the man. The man who had attacked her family.

He'd been a burglar in the night, storming into her home. She'd been with Skulduggery on a case. The stupid reflection had been powerless to stop him. Valkyrie's parents had tried to take down the man, but he'd attacked them.

Now they were in hospital, doing fine. Healing. Recovering. But it had still happened, and Valkyrie still wanted revenge.

She briefly remembered facing a similar situation, against the man who had mugged her mother. Whatever. These people were in the wrong.

Valkyrie cast a glance around her, at the deserted beach she'd tracked the man to. She saw the waves crashing against the rocks, the sand glinting in the rain, the seagulls perched on the "No Diving" sign.

Valkyrie smirked. The mortals of this planet had all their little rules and their religions, all designed to keep them safe. But when she'd start breaking the rules, which would be very soon, they'd start questioning their faith.

For Valkyrie heard a voice in her head. Her saviour. It hated to love, but loved to hate. It had knowledge, so much knowledge. Not just in terms of combat, but also in terms of strategy.

But most of all, it had power. To listen to that voice would mean succumbing to the power it held and represented. It had the power to rule over this world.

The voice was, of course, Darquesse.

Valkyrie failed to see the point of sparing this world from the fate it deserved. People were crying with pain and desperation. Heroes, good men, were dying. For nothing. Bloodshed was rife, and tension was rising.

There was so much suffering in this world, so why shouldn't Valkyrie just give in and end it all?

She was brought back to reality when a venomous voice said, "Why are you doing all this?"

She looked down at the man again. Bloody, bruised and battered. "What?" she spat.

"Your parents, your sister. They're fine, ain't they? Why are you beating me up? Why are you trying to kill me?"

Valkyrie stared hard at the man. Pathetic mortal. Didn't understand power. Didn't understand anything.

"Because I hear a voice in my head. It councils me. It understands. It talks to me."

"You're crazy," the man realised. "You're fucking _insane_."

Valkyrie looked out at the tide, then back at the man. "It tells me things that I will do; it shows me what I'll do to you. It talks to me. And it's talking to me right now."

Valkyrie summoned a fistful of shadows.

"You know what it's saying?" she asked quietly. "It's, or rather _she's,_ saying to kill you. To end it. To smash a hole through your chest. So that's just what I'll do."

Valkyrie aimed her hand at the man's chest. He'd frozen with fear, or maybe with the shock of seeing real-life magic for the first time. And the last time.

Valkyrie was ready to finish this. Because she heard a voice in her head, telling her to get on with it, to kill him. And why shouldn't she? People these days were pathetic hypocrites. Liars. Pretending to do their jobs, when really they were just trying to please themselves.

From the sinning preachers to the big-talking politicians. Valkyrie was going to end all that. Darkness would rise, and justice would come swiftly. Religion, faiths, beliefs... They would fall. Because that voice in her head, it understood her. It _was_ her. It was her bad mood.

It spoke to her. It indoctrinated her, it consumed her. She had violent cravings, and they weren't her own, but she'd adopted them. And she was going to listen to them. Darquesse would come and put an end to all the suffering in the world. Humans were bleeding the planet dry, isn't that what Ravel had once said? Maybe death was the better option for them, before they went too far.

Valkyrie grinned. True to her word, she blasted a hole through the startled man's chest, smiling as the blood ran out of his lifeless body.

She was Darquesse. Not properly. Not at the moment. But at heart... She was the downfall of this godforsaken planet.

Because she heard a voice in her head.


	7. Are You With Me- Lost Frequencies

**This is set about a month after Darquesse is defeated in TDOTL.**

* * *

Are you with me- Lost Frequencies

A single wooden bench stood by the lake belonging to the town of Roarhaven. This bench had been introduced by Grand Mage Sorrows as a means of transforming the desolate appearance of her fortress' front garden, but the arrival of Darquesse had meant that this bench's siblings had all but perished. It was on the only bench in Roarhaven that Saracen Rue sat and watched the sunrise.

He had been discharged from hospital an hour ago, after being reined back in from the brink of death. Beside him, the man who had cheated death even more cunningly exhaled heavily.

"So what are you going to do now?" Saracen asked his companion. Dexter Vex turned his head slightly to his friend.

"Back to the usual routine, I suppose," he answered. "I'm not needed here any more. Disaster averted, eh?"

"Nice job with that, by the way," Saracen teased.

"Shut up," Dexter chuckled. "I didn't _want_ to get possessed."

"Whatever."

The pair watched the sun slowly begin to clear the horizon, the sky mingling with the ethereal beams to produce an array of tones from one divine palette.

"I'm going to leave Ireland," Dexter said suddenly, after a moment. "I'm going back to adventuring."

"Peter Pan, are you still refusing to grow up?" Saracen smirked.

"Yup," Dexter grinned back. "It's more fun this way."

Saracen sat back, and crossed one leg over the other. "Any place in particular?"

"I was thinking... North America. Canada. That sort of thing. I don't know, I'll just go wherever the wind blows."

Saracen nodded slowly. "How poetic."

"What about you?" Dexter questioned.

Saracen rubbed a strong hand along his stubbly jawline in thought. "No idea," he eventually decided. "I might go back to my old ways; a different bed every night."

"Have you no shame?" Dexter scoffed.

Saracen looked Dexter in the eye for the first time that morning. "I don't do it for the fun any more. I do it to escape. I don't want everything to catch up with me because I don't know what I'll do. Ghastly is dead. Anton is dead. Erskine betrayed them. Skulduggery's keeping to himself. Valkyrie's gone. I watched the medics put your insides back together, Dex, after they told me you were going to die. All I can do is run from what's happened, because when it all comes up and slaps me in the face, I won't know what to do."

Saracen looked away. Dexter looked at him for a moment more, then looked towards the horizon and the pink skies.

"I get it," he said quietly.

Saracen looked back at him, and in that moment, he understood. He understood why Dexter refused to 'grow up', and why he ran off to exotic locations every month. Because that was his form of running. He was running from his problems just like Saracen was, but in his own way; in the only way he knew how to.

The two were silent, watching the leaves blow in the light breeze, twirling through what remained of the wreckage and rubble. Two leaves found each other, and danced among a pile of timber beams, eventually turning a corner and becoming lost to sight.

Saracen took a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket, and placed them over his eyes. He gazed towards the sun, losing himself in the gold-tipped clouds that concealed most of the celeste sky. It was Dexter who broke the quiet of Roarhaven this time.

"I want to see the Northern Lights, climb another mountain, live amongst wild bears. I want to do breathtaking, electrifying things. But I want to do this with someone."

He looked at Saracen, who wordlessly turned his head to his friend, studying him from behind his sunglasses.

Dexter searched the dark glass until he knew that he was staring right into Saracen's eyes, then asked, "Are you with me?"

Saracen saw the sincerity and the hope on his companion's face, and knew, without a doubt, that he would not regret his decision.

Attempting to appear casual, he shrugged his shoulders lightly.

"I suppose so."


	8. Drinking From The Bottle- Tinie Tempah

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed; Mya2015** _(Haha Sexter ftw ;))_ **,** **bearah cubecars** _(Yesssss I love Sexter :D)_ **, Girl in a Bow Tie** _(I just noticed- Dexter really does sound like the Doctor in that xD And yes, I had to put companion :D)_ **, Tali4ever** _(Looool xD Don't ask me, I have no idea how to mend a broken soul either ;))_ **, Guest** _(Hey! Thank you for the suggestions- She Wolf and Don't you Worry Child are two of my favourite songs, and I can see them fitting in really well. I'll try and get them done soon, thanks again! :))_ **, Squishy** _(Heeeey! It's been a while! School is hectic. How've you been? Haha thank you! Glad you liked the chapter! I just listened to Wired Wrong, and it's amazing! It's so moving, I love it! Have a good day as well! :))_ **, SCOD** _(Hi there! I just listened to Gasoline and Control, and you're completely right- perfect for Valkyrie/Darquesse. Thank you so much for those suggestions, and I'll get around to writing them as soon as I can! Thank you again :))_ **, and Lightening sparks** _(Thank you! Glad you liked the chapter! :D)_ **.**

 **This is set during the war with Mevolent.**

* * *

Drinking From the Bottle- Calvin Harris ft Tinie Tempah

It was loud. So loud. Skulduggery Pleasant's face turned sour as he walked down towards the main area of the camp. Practically everybody in his regiment was there, shouting and cheering and speaking and singing and making noise.

He searched the crowd, until his emerald eyes settled on Vex. He moved swiftly towards his friend, who was clearly drunk, and was downing another goblet of ale.

"Dexter?" Skulduggery snapped. "Dexter, what are you doing? Hey!" He slapped Dexter's face.

"Skul," Dexter slurred. "You just gotta let yourself go."

"Dexter, do you know what's happening tomorrow? We are storming Mevolent's fortress, remember?!"

Dexter held out his hands. "Calm yourself, Skul. I remember. I remember everything like a goldfish."

Skulduggery flexed his fingers, and a bucket's worth of icy water splashed onto his friend's head out of the night sky. "We cannot afford to act like hooligans and get drunk mere hours before the mission. This could be the breakthrough we've needed."

Dexter slowly wiped the water from his face. "My head," he groaned. "I need another drink-"

"Where are the others?" Skulduggery demanded.

Dexter waved his hand. "Somewhere about."

Skulduggery looked at Vex, then turned his head towards the mass of bodies moving and dancing around him. He scanned the sea of faces, then started towards Ravel.

He strode up to him. He grabbed Ravel by the shoulder, and spun him around to face him, away from the lady he was speaking to.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Skulduggery yelled.

Erskine grinned. "I was just about to take that nice girl to the edge of the woods and-"

"You know what I mean!" Skulduggery roared. "Tomorrow we're-"

"I know what's happening tomorrow, Skul!" Erskine interrupted, suddenly angry. He glanced at the people around him, then led Skulduggery to a quieter part of the clearing.

"We all know what's going to happen tomorrow," Ravel continued. "Why do you think we're all out here, partying in the moonlight? We're gonna _die_ tomorrow! Seven stupid men are gonna walk into Mevolent's bloody headquarters- do you think we have a chance of survival?!"

He broke off, breathing heavily. Skulduggery opened his mouth to bite back, but Erskine intercepted.

"This is very likely going to be our last night alive, so forget about tomorrow. Tonight, my friend," he looked Skulduggery in the eye. "Tonight we're drinking from the bottle."

He walked off towards Saracen, who had his lips locked in a passionate kiss with a pretty lady. Skulduggery saw Anton and Ghastly seated under a tree, conversing with Hopeless, drinks in their hands. Dexter, now topless, was still raving.

Skulduggery briefly contemplated what Erskine had said. This could very well be his last night alive. So why not have a little fun?

He walked into the crowd, snatching up a large bottle of ale on the way, taking a long sip.


End file.
